Saw a production of Purlie, performers were absolutely fantastic, facility is impeccable.read more

This is a really nice spot! Been there several times. Super intimate.... your high school…read moreauditorium is bigger!!! How I got over Gospel Review was great albeit way way way too loud! I should have said something as checking with others this is a common complaint! The actors/ singers are so talented and the theatre is so small they honestly don't need the microphones which make it over the top loud. Still love this place!!!

September 20, 2024 - two attending - Even after 75 years the magic must still be in the air and the…read morearea!!! The main theatre was ravaged and destroyed in Hurricane IAN so they are trying to rebuild and get back to normal - so while you buy tickets and attending you are helping out as well. (If you are not local i am sure they will take a check or card for no seat!! Give 'em a call) https://mailchi.mp/venicetheatre/opening-weekend-tickets-available?e=64b049ba14 REALLY enjoyed this clever & witty play with some very comical and talented characters and actors! Giving it 5 stars here but also a ZERO on the Daddy Z Meter. That is the best score since I did NOT nod off or fall asleep once because this was engaging throughout and really kept my attention and had me laughing!! BRAVO! (cross posting Yelp, Google, etc etc)

I love this place but their projectors' for the movies are very very dim. The stair lights may be…read morebrighter

This is my first opera since moving down here from NYC 11 years ago. In tonight's case, we have…read moretickets for Il Trovatore (Giuseppe Verdi). Even though downtown Sarasota is a total conglomeration of small and poorly laid out streets, it was easy to get here. I lucked out and found a spot on Central Ave right around the corner. Just $2 to park until 8pm, after which it's "free parking," to borrow a phrase from Monopoly. They refurbished this place not so long ago so it's quite nice in the auditorium itself. It kinda has a Spanish colonial feel both inside and outside. When I hear "opera house," I think of the Metropolitan Opera House and Lincoln Center. This place is quite small and more closely resembles a theatre where one would expect to see "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or "Hello Dolly." I purchased orchestra box seats, which come 4 to a box, two rows per box. No one right near us but two couples front of us in the next box forward. I'm tall enough to have seen over Madame Blue Hair, so I had to switch seats with my dear Queen Bee. Sight lines could be better, IMHO. Meantime, I even received a personalized thank you letter from the Opera House "Powers That Be" upon entering our "box." Two free drinks were ours for the taking..."does not include spirits." Still a nice touch though. Free Diet Pepsi/Coke awaits us in the future! Woo Hoo!! Acoustics seemed okay rather than too loud, too muffled or too tinny. As I said above, sight lines are rather mediocre but at least one isn't totally packed in like a tin of sardines. Both our seats (stand alone moveable chairs) and standard row seating seem comfortable enough.

Stopped into this hundred year-old historic Opera House in the arts district of Sarasota. The…read moreSarasota Opera House is a historic, beautifully renovated 1,119-seat theater in downtown Sarasota, known for hosting opera, ballet, concerts & film festivals. Originally opened in 1926 as the Edwards Theatre, it features a restored auditorium with excellent acoustics and is part of a larger complex that includes a pavilion for events. The venue is on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a variety of performance and event spaces.

This is an event space where we went to to see a dance recital. Although it is small it serves it's…read morepurpose. It was cozy and intimate. We arrived after everything started and sat where we could find a seat for 4 people together. Our seat was located in the front but we did not want to disturb the show. It turns out the people who belonged in these seats came after we did. The usher told us we had to move but we negotiated with the other people and they took our unused seats up front. It's a cute little place but when you walk in you don't know who works there and who doesn't. The ushers should have something in letting you know they are an usher.

So, last night we wrapped up our week of Theatre with an absolutely phenomenal presentation of…read more"Spring Awakening" at Rise Above! This was the senior year production, and I got to tell you... I was blown out of the water by what these kids brought to the stage! This production has everything! Talent, great voices, impeccable, choreography, and a love scene that would rival any Broadway production. to everyone involved with this... Kudos and thank you for a marvelous night in the theater. Wishing everyone of you much success in your journey ahead. simply brilliant!

The Asolo Theater is currently showing Shakespeare Hamlet. It is the largest Equity theatre in…read moreFlorida, and the largest Repertory theatre in the Southeastern United States. Asolo Rep is a resident regional theatre company which also invites in guest artists. It works in conjunction with Florida State University's MFA Acting program, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. This is a horse-shoe shaped theatre with 4 tiers of boxes and was modeled after La Fenice. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the building was the home theatre of the great Italian actress Eleonora Duse. In 1930, the Asolo Theatre was dismantled and put into storage. In 1949 the museum director of the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art learned of the theatre's existence and saw the theatre as an ideal acquisition for the museum. It's been in existence here for 67 years since 1958.

Stunning architecture, this building is from the 1500's in Oslo, Norway. It was transported to this…read morelocation & is truly remarkable how they are able to keep it up. There are very small parts of it that had to be reconfigured & restored that was damaged & didn't make the trip over, however about 85% of it is still in its original condition. It seats about 550 people & the acoustics are marvelous. My family & I went to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. As being someone who grew up going to broadway shows, this show transported me back to New York City! The friendliness of about half of the staff could be significantly better, nevertheless, everything else about this place was spectacular. Thanks Team Asolo Theater!

The Historic Asolo Theater is a true gem of the Sarasota area…read more "The name 'Asolo' comes to us from Asolo, Italy, a beautiful town tucked in the hills of the northern countryside. There, a lovely 18th-century theatre, caught the eye of Everett "Chick" Austin, the first Director of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. He acquired the theatre's interior for the museum's collection in 1949." We saw a matinee performance of "All is Calm" and it was wonderful. The acting and singing were superb. This is a definite must-see if you are in the area.

Old school entertainment. If you have an 7-10 yr old then maybe you'd enjoy the Circus Summer…read moreSpectacular at Asolo Theater. My nephew is 15 so he was a tad bored. We were thinking that the price is a touch high. I'd say twice as high as it should be. The theater is small so it looks like even in the balcony it is only 2 rows. Not packed. Cute and decorative. You can tell the performers tried their best to show their skill and talents. They had about 7 minutes for each performance slot. Charming Reynaldo Teaching the kids how to balance a spinning plate , had some Chaplin-esque skits.in the beginning he barely spoke , his non verbal communication was cute. Later he'd count to 5 in Japanese or French and even Spanish too. Little kids were delighted. He got up and personal with them and picked many to go on stage with him. I would say he performed the most. He was entertaining a bit between each segment. Little kids were giggling a lot. You can watch the aerial silks performances( seems to be so hugely popular no?), hand balancing acts, Twirling Cubique spinning , amazing crossbow skills ( also cute couple shooting each other's targets with a bow and arrow .) Duo fusion is an attractive af husband and wife balancing act where the wife does most of the lifting. They are just so pretty. Retro costumes really do pay homage to the classic balancing act that I expect to have seen & heard about in the bygone days of the circus ( proper)... or even Coney Island. So muscular and toned and so strong. So there you have it. See if you can arrange a discount ticket. *****Although this ticket does allow you a Summer Circus Bonus, which is $5 admission to the Circus Museum ~with is a wonderful sight to see at the Ringling

Saw Grace and Glorie on June 21, 2025, at 7:30. The set and acting was excellent. The woman that…read moreplayed Grace was an exception actress. Looking forward to purchasing single tickets to several play after August 1, 2025.

I have seen multiple productions at this theatre and I have never been disappointed. They perform…read moreeverything from comedy, to musicals and beyond. You never get a "bad" seat as the theatre is small and you quickly forget your surroundings as you get pulled into the show.

The great part for us, the audience, is our chance to see and experience performances from a world…read moreclass ballet school in our own back yard. The joy of live dance performances is both uplifting and energizing. The Sarasota Cuban Ballet (SBC) in the Cuban style, for me, is the next positive step in the evolution of the ballet genre: diverse, graceful, emotive and powerful! As a school to send your child.....So to qualify myself first because everyone's opinion, like flavors, is 1 of 3: sweet, savory or tart and all have their place which is why our world is such a wonderfully creative combination of flavors. I am an active dance dad. I have tried and thoroughly and personally love tap and ballet....noting that my lack of skills drops the grace/ability bar so low it is but a "mark" on the floor. I have been watching and supporting my daughter along her( to date 10 year ) dance journey. I have been learning and growing along the way in areas of technique, presentation, physical injury & recovery, mental/ psychological strength .....from a parent's perspective of course. My daughter has trained at several good and some fantastic studios...I have been witness to a small part of the behind the scenes issues and joys of this HUGELY creative & GINORMOUSLY physical art form.... She attended the Sarasota Cuban Ballet summer intensive on recommendation from another wonderful ballet conservatory and decided stay and continue her training towards becoming a professional ballerina. That said.... I make the first entry of my impression to date: This team of teachers knows how to train without over training, cares about their students and can provide a clear (and proven) path to a professional ballet company contract. Because a dancer typically discovers their passion for dance arts at a young age, parents typically take a more active role in their journey. As a parent still learning about this profession and seeing lots of haze and ambiguity in the path ahead there is a greater sense of calm that at least we have found a clearer path with a "knock-able" doors of opportunity. We all know there are no guarantees for a job: skill level, injuries, health and mental disposition are all obstacles of opportunity for every dancer wanting a professional career. Sarasota Cuban Ballet (SCB) impresses me to have the experience, empathy and teaching skills to give every dancer a real shot at their dream. Over the last decade of working with various studios, this is both rare and precious. Now, mind you, I am sure and am familiar with several other schools around the world and in this area who also excel in the same and for different dance genres. Kudos to them. I have learned that everyone is uniquely similar... we all excel or languish in different environments. There is no single school of any type that is a perfect fit for all or for all time. I believe in SCB we have found the three (3) "E's" we are seeking: Empathy, Excellence and Experience